A refrigerator normally comprises a cabinet (body) composed of an outer box, an inner box and a heat insulating layer filled in a space formed between the boxes to form a refrigerating chamber and a heat insulating door capable of opening and closing the entrance to the body. This invention relates to especially the former, and more particularly to the cabinet of a refrigerator comprising a top wall and both side walls formed by bending one steel sheet previously coated with paint.
The outer box of a refrigerator conventionally consists of a top wall (top plate) and both side walls (side plates) formed by bending one steel sheet in addition to a bottom plate, a back plate and a front plate welded thereto. Moreover, a groove facing inwardly for inserting the edge of an entrance of an inner box is formed in the front periphery of the top wall and both side walls. In other words, the groove facing inwardly comprises a fore flange consisting of a front flange formed by bending the top wall and both side walls and a rear flange folded back to make it contact the rear surface of the front flange tightly and continuously; and an inside flange bent in such a manner as to be continuous to the rear flange and to leave a predetermined space toward the backside of the rear flange.
However, on the front peripheries of the top wall and both side walls, the fore flange is made to overlap each other in both corner portions and normally the fore flange of the top wall is piled up on the rear surfaces of the side walls and fixed thereto by spot welding (for instance, the Japanese Utility Model 12755/1971).
In case the top wall and both the side walls are formed by bending one steel sheet previously coated with paint (this method is frequently employed because simple facilities can do the job and bad coating is seldom produced as compared with coating after the outer box has been three-dimensionally assembled), the bend of the bent portion of the fore flange must have a large radius because the paint film may be peeled off or produce a crack if the bending angle or bending radius is allowed to be small; this causes a gap in this portion to become large and is not preferred in view of its external appearance. Moreover, the above overlapping portions are combined together by caulking, gluing or rivetting because spot welding and the like causing the paint film to peel off cannot be adopted; the disadvantage includes an increase in the number of troubles caused by making holes for rivetting or gluing and scratches on the surface made by caulking.
One of the principal objects of the present invention which has been made in the light of the above described problems is to provide a refrigerator cabinet most suitable when the reinforcement of the front peripheries of the top wall and both side walls of its outer box is achievable without rivetting or caulking and when each of the walls of the outer box is formed by bending one steel sheet previously coated with painting.